Spring 2005 - Sentinel Volcanic Field, Arizona

We decided to try something different for the spring 2005 fieldtrip. We picked a relatively close location and divided ourselves into two teams: the "Groundhogs", who would study particular features using ground-truth measurements and observations, and the "Space Cadets", who would study the same features by only relying measurements made from remote sensing. The general goal was to compare the conclusions made by the remote sensing team versus what was known from the ground. It was a useful exercise since remote sensing is an essential part of exploring our solar system, and many of the ideas from this fieldtrip have integrated themselves into future fieldtrips.

Day 1

Our field trip leader, Jay Melosh, leads a discussion.

It was a bit of a challenge to compare what we were seeing on the ground and lugging large remote sensing maps at the same time, but we did what we could.

Sunset from our campsite, near Gila Bend. Not pictured here, but a persistent glow from the north (i.e. Phoenix) was omnipresent.

Day 2

Sentinel Peak

We continue discussion and debate over what exactly on the ground corresponds to what we see on the maps, and how the features are formed.